


Ten Winters

by NayaKatic



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/F, It Will Be Okay, cartinelli endgame, do not worry my children, hopefully
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-09 09:11:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4342637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NayaKatic/pseuds/NayaKatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They meet on a cold December night. From that day on, The Automat becomes part of Peggy’s routine and Angie, part of Peggy’s life.</p><p>It doesn't mean that it goes smoothly from there. It's not easy, and it takes them Ten Winters to figure that out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a movie I watched a few months ago during my Italian class. The original title is "Dieci Inverni" which literally translates to "Ten Winters" so that's also where the title comes from. Cool. tbh I had mixed feelings about the movie but every movie I watch makes me think of Cartinelli in some way, so this is what happened.
> 
> A huge thank you to my potato friend abigailstewart, to the cooliest savecarmilla and to my favorite vintagecartinelli for proof reading this and just being cool human beings.
> 
> Enjoy!

**_December 1945_ **

 

They first met on a cold december night.

 

Peggy had had a long day at the office. She was still getting used to the new job, the new city, this whole new life. Being transferred to the SSR office in New York, she never guessed her most thrilling mission would be taking lunch orders. She was worth more than that, she had proven what she was capable of during the war. She had hoped that would have been enough.

 

It clearly wasn’t.

 

She was tired and cold. Snow had started to fall on the city, making its inhabitants seek warmth wherever they could. For Peggy, that was a small dinner she hadn’t noticed before. It was almost empty, only a couple of people sitting in booths or at the counter. It looked quiet and Peggy needed quiet.

 

Angie had been on her feet all day and she was ready to kill a man. She had endured sexist remarks and inappropriate comments the whole day, she was ready to get home and forget about the disgusting men and this disgusting dinner and her disgusting life.

 

Okay, maybe she was being a little dramatic here.

 

The dinner wasn’t that disgusting and her life was pretty nice when she wasn’t wearing this damn uniform. Sure, her life wasn’t perfect, by far, but it was simple. She had a roof over her head, countless italian relatives, friends and dreams. Those dreams did drive her nuts sometimes, especially when she went to auditions with - once again - disgusting men telling her she could get the acting job if she just did a teeny tiny thing for them.

 

Angie frowned. She was angry now.

 

She went back to cleaning the counter, passing all of her frustrations onto her scrubbing. That’s when she heard the door being open and felt the cold air rushing in. It left her with a chill as she looked up to see who had just come in.

 

Her scrubbing stopped.

 

She didn’t expect much from the people who came into the L&L Automat. Most of the customers were men, some of them were nice, the others she’d rather not think about. Women came in too, obviously, each beautiful in their own way. Angie had seen her fair share of gorgeous women in her life but the one who had just entered the Automat?

 

Angie had never seen anything like her.

 

Peggy took in her surroundings before walking to the counter where a waitress was already smiling at her. She had light brown hair and something around her was just… bright. She seemed to lighten up the whole place, even the darkest corners. She felt familiar and comfortable, and right now, that was what Peggy needed.

 

“Hey there! What can I get you?”

 

Sitting down, Peggy thought for a few seconds before answering.

 

“A warm cup of tea would be nice, please.”

 

A flash of recognition seemed to appear on the waitress’ face upon hearing her accent. Her smile got a tad bigger and she nodded.

 

“I’ll be right back, English.”

 

The nickname felt natural and it wrapped around Peggy like a warm blanket. She watched as the waitress made her tea and moved effortlessly around. Her eyes only left the petite form when she got out from behind the counter. That’s when her body seemed to remember how tired she was. It was becoming more difficult with each passing second to keep her eyes open. She felt the beginning of a headache throbbing behind her eyelids and she internally cursed all the paperwork she’d had to do that day.

 

A pleasant smell - _rhubarb?_ \- broke her away from her thoughts. She watched as the smiling waitress placed her tea in front of her and pointed to the pie she had just brought back.

 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but it looks like you could use it,” Peggy was about to protest when the waitress leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Don’t worry, English, it’s on the house,” she winked and Peggy smiled gratefully, taking her first bite and relishing in the taste. After that, she ate the whole thing at a rapid, almost worrisome, pace, earning an amused look from the waitress. Peggy thought about apologizing for a second. She knew her eating manners were nonexistent as her mother would say. But she was tired and so she simply shrugged.

 

Angie kept observing the English woman then. Not in a creepy way, no, she was just curious. That woman, Angie had decided, was like an onion. Peeling the surface would only result in being faced with countless layers of mystery. She’d probably make Angie cry, too. Yet, that didn’t stop her from approaching her again, hoping to strike conversation.

 

“So, have you been in the city long?”

 

The English woman took a sip of her tea before answering.

 

“No, only a few months. I was recently transferred in one of the offices here.”

 

“Oh! Where do you work?”

 

The woman looked down at her cup, taking another sip, “the phone company.” She looked back up at Angie who just smiled and nodded politely.

 

“Well, I hope the city’s been treating you well. I know some of the folks can be rude but you just need to find the right crowd.”

 

Peggy stared at the waitress. She let her words make their way around her head a few times before smiling and extending her hand.

 

“In that case, I’m Peggy. Carter, Peggy Carter.”

 

Angie took the offered hand with a smile.

 

“I’m Angela Martinelli. Although, only my ma calls me Angela, everyone just calls me Angie.”

 

From that day on, The Automat became part of Peggy’s routine and Angie, part of Peggy’s life.

 

_**December 1946** _

 

Angie shook the snow that had fallen on her hair and sighed. Her shift at the Automat had been boring. With all the snow that had been slowly piling up outside, not a lot of customers had dared to make their way outside. She shouldn’t have either, Angie told herself. Her feet were completely wet, so were her clothes and her hair. She was cold and grumpy. She took off her coat and shoes not noticing that her roommate’s were already at their usual place next to hers.

 

What Angie needed right now was to relax. She needed to clear her mind and make herself feel better. She was about to make her way to the library when she heard a voice and some cursing coming from the living room. She frowned and made her way there instead.

 

“Peggy? You already home?”

 

They had been living in Howard’s mansion together for a little over five months now. Angie still didn’t know everything about Peggy and her mysterious work, but she knew enough. They were friends, close friends, who vented after a long day of work and shared stories of the past. The past few days though, Peggy had grown distant, not staying up as late with Angie as she used to, avoiding Angie as much as possible.

 

“Yes, Angie, I’m in the living room. Don’t come in!” Angie frowned. She was good at pretending she wasn’t bothered by whatever was going on with Peggy but truth was it hurt. It hurt that she was clearly hiding something from her and instead of owning up to it, she was _avoiding_ Angie.

 

The Italian woman was about to go into the living room anyway and speak a piece of her mind when her roommate appeared in front of her. She blocked her way and looked sheepishly at her.

 

“Close your eyes.”

 

“Peggy, what?”

 

The English woman just walked behind Angie and put her hands on her shoulders. Leaning in, she whispered, “do you trust me?” to which Angie nodded and finally closed her eyes. She felt Peggy guide her into the living room and stopping when they get to the middle of the room. Peggy went back to standing in front of Angie.

 

“You can open your eyes, now.”

 

Angie’s first reaction was surprise. She didn’t know exactly what she was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this. The room was decorated with countless fairy lights. A tall Christmas tree proudly stood in the corner of the room, tastefully decorated with gold and red. Angie was shocked to see that a few presents lay underneath it. She looked around the room some more, trying to take it all in and understand what was being presented to her. After a few minutes, her shiny eyes landed on Peggy who hadn’t moved and was contentedly watching Angie’s reaction.

 

“Since we won’t be spending actual Christmas together, I thought I’d surprise you with an early Christmas celebration.”

 

At that, Angie could feel her eyes start to water but, truth was, she didn’t give a damn. Her adorable and reserved English roommate had planned an early Christmas celebration for her. They had been talking about it a lot. It was Angie’s favourite time of the year and, as excited that she was to spend Christmas with her crazy (but very lovable) Italian family, she was sad she wouldn’t be able to share it with Peggy.

 

And so they spent the night in, sharing food, wine and more stories. The lights in the room reflected on their smiles and made Angie’s eyes even brighter than usual. Everytime Angie started laughing, Peggy felt pride swell in her chest. She was the one to bring that happiness to Angie and right now she couldn’t ask for more. She wanted to keep this moment in mind, cherish it forever. The lights, the woman, and the feelings growing stronger with each giggle, she wanted to frame it all.

 

She knew she’d need to remember this.

 

_**January 1948** _

 

Peggy sighed, closed the file she was currently reading and put it on the bedside table. She took off her glasses to rub her tired eyes. She put them back on and looked around her bedroom. It felt empty.

 

Empty is how she felt most of the time since her move to Los Angeles. Leaving New York behind was much more difficult than she expected. It wasn’t as much the city she missed, but the people. Sure, Howard was here, so was Jarvis, thank god, and she was desperate enough to be glad that Daniel and Thompson had also been transferred to their new office in LA. If Peggy were to be perfectly honest, she missed one person in particular.

 

Without thinking about it, she reached for the phone on her bedside table and called the number she knew by heart. She heard it ring once, twice, to finally be picked up on the third ring.

 

“Angie Martinelli speaking!”

 

Peggy held her breath, a sudden rush of emotions leaving her speechless. She wondered how it was possible to miss a person as much as she missed Angie. Simply hearing her voice brought the biggest of smiles on Peggy’s face. Yet, she could still feel sadness creeping behind it.

 

“Peggy, that you?” She could hear Angie’s frown in her voice and imagine her nose scrunched up in that perfect confused expression of hers.

 

“Angie, hello, I hope I’m not bothering you,” she seemed to suddenly realize that she had no idea what time it was, what day it was, maybe Angie had something planned. Everything blurred together, leaving Peggy only certain of the fact that she needed to talk to Angie.

 

“It’s only eight o’clock, grandma!” She smiled fondly at Angie, imagining the smirk the younger woman was certainly sporting.

 

“I was just about to crack open a book. What have you been up to?”

 

“I was just reading over some case files. Nothing fancy,” She heard Angie hum on the other side of the line and then silence filled the miles separating them. Peggy remembered a time when those used to be comfortable. How they could simply enjoy each other’s company and it wouldn’t feel forced or anything. It felt like home, it was easy. Right now, Peggy came to realize, they just didn’t know what to say. It had been months since they last saw each other in person, and even though they still made a point to call each other as often as they could, they were losing touch.

 

Peggy missed being able to go to the dinner to quickly catch up on what was going on with Angie before going back to work. She missed coming home at night to a nice dinner, sometimes a bottle of schnapps, sometimes wine, but always countless stories of disgusting men and _'can you believe he did that?'_

 

Peggy missed Angie.

 

She wanted to tell Angie. She wanted to tell her how many empty spaces were left around her now that Angie wasn’t with her. Most of her missions felt pointless without Angie around to tell her about them. Her injuries didn’t hurt as much without Angie to tend to them in the dark of night.

 

She didn’t say any of that.

 

Instead, Peggy took a steady breath and asked about Angie’s most recent audition. Angie reminded her she had been cast in an off-Broadway show a few weeks ago. Peggy knew that, of course she did. She simply forgot.

 

With Angie talking about dance rehearsals and stuckup directors, Peggy was left to wonder how on earth she could forget such an important detail in Angie’s life.

 

**_December 1948_ **

 

Angie looked amazing, if she said so herself, and smoking hot, if Howard’s words were to be believed. The point was, Angie felt good in her strapless black dress. It hugged her in all the right places giving her a lean and elegant figure for the evening.

 

She arrived at the party with Howard Stark as her date and when they started walking the red carpet, the cameras went off, blinding and overwhelming. Really, Angie should have been used to this by now. She had lost count to how many parties she went to in the past couple of months but working with Howard, she guessed, this was bound to happen.

 

Her move to Los Angeles had felt like natural progression. Howard for some reason had decided to open a movie studio and asked Angie to be a part of it. To say Angie was surprised was an understatement. Howard and Angie hadn’t talked in a little over a year when the offer came in. Yes, Angie had still been living in Howard’s mansion, but the only person she had been in contact with was Jarvis. He had encouraged her to take the job. She hadn’t hesitated.

 

_Much._

 

Okay, she had almost declined, because her taking the job meant moving to Los Angeles and Angie wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She was a New Yorker, born and raised. Broadway had been her dream. She was afraid of missing her home and yet, after two months that hadn’t happened. At least, not yet.

 

The party in celebration of the New Years was being held in some fancy hotel Angie hadn’t bothered to remember the name of. She was only here because Howard had insisted and because it was a good way for her to get her name out there. His winning argument, though, was the dress. No one could say Howard Stark had terrible taste in fashion. He had terrible taste in women but that was another thing entirely.

 

Upon entering in the large ballroom where the party was being held, Howard scooped up two glasses of champagne, handing one to Angie. She smiled gratefully while scanning the room and the people present. Politicians, actresses, actors, singers, models, more politicians, rich white men. The usual. And so they started walking around, making small talk with people they barely even knew, talking about Howard’s new studio.

 

The party didn’t get interesting until an hour later, when Howard was approached by a man in military uniform. Angie could almost see his mustache buzz with excitement as the man started shaking his hand and patting him on the back.

 

“Colonel Philips! It’s so nice to see you again,” While Howard looked like a small kid in a candy store, this colonel Philips looked like a bored dad who wasn’t capable of smiling in fear people might discover that he actually had feelings.

 

“You too. Stark,” turning to Angie with what she guessed was his pleasant face, he offered his hand. She took it and tried not to wince when he squeezed it a bit too hard. She was about to find some excuse to leave Howard to deal with the colonel when his words made her stop in her tracks, “I was talking to Carter earlier about your new studio. She told me it was starting to become quite successful.”

 

Carter.

 

Howard shot her a quick look before charmingly smiling back to Philips, “Yes it is, sir. She came to visit a few days ago, said it looked perfect for some spy movies,” Philips looked unimpressed at Howard for some reason. Angie didn’t really care about that.

 

Peggy Carter had come to the studio a few days ago, the studio Angie worked in. Angie hadn’t seen her which wasn’t surprising considering the studio was huge but still. Peggy could’ve asked Howard to see her or she could’ve looked for Angie herself, she was a goddamn spy, for Christ’s sake. While she internally continued ranting to herself, she failed to notice the couple advancing towards them. It was Howard’s excitement, once again, who brought her out of her reverie.

 

“Well if it isn’t Margaret Carter, gracing us with her presence.”

 

Angie almost fainted. She was pretty sure she went brain dead for a second because she hadn’t seen Peggy or heard from her in months and the woman looked stunning. She was wearing a red dress and some fancy jewelry but what struck her was her smile, broad and beautiful. She was looking at Howard like he was an idiot (which he was) and walked up to him to greet him with a hug. That was when Angie looked at the man accompanying Peggy. She recognized him from somewhere but she couldn’t for the life of her remember his name. He must have felt her eyes boring holes on his head because he finally turned to her, extending his hand.

 

“I’m Daniel Sousa. You’re Angie Martinelli, right?” His smile was charming. Not the same charm as Howard, no, his felt kinder, sweeter. She nodded and suddenly it hit her.

 

“You’re that Agent that was looking for Peggy. At the Griffith!” He laughed, looking at Peggy like he couldn’t believe that had really happened. If Angie were to really think about it, it didn’t feel real to her either. Finding Peggy outside her window, lying to federal agents to protect her, it all felt like some vivid fever dream she’d had. It felt like it had happened in another life, in a life where Someday had felt like a promise of Forever but looking back at the woman in red in front of her, that hopeful feeling she had felt that day seemed foolish. Peggy was staring back at her with a warm smile.

 

“It’s nice to see you again, Angie.”

 

The accent, the brown eyes, Angie forgot where they were for a moment and it was just the two of them, back in her room at the Griffith, drinking schnapps and laughing at terrible jokes in the middle of the night. That felt old too, a distant memory before they each chose different paths. Everything rushed back to Angie and she was suddenly aware of everything around her. The reason she was feeling so strongly right now, why the sight of Peggy in that dress caught her breath and she was suddenly angry. Her fists twitched and a perfectly shaped eyebrow shot up.

 

“It’s nice to see you too, English.”

 

It was nice. Angie really was glad to see Peggy in one piece and alive. Yet, she was angry and her voice let Peggy know that. Peggy, at least, had the decency to look guilty. It only lasted a second though, a second, before she went back to standing next to Daniel and let him sneak an arm around her waist.

 

The conversation started up again around her but she couldn’t make out a single word. All that her senses could make out was that arm on Peggy’s waist, Peggy’s arm around Daniel’s waist and the occasional sickeningly sweet look exchanged between the two. It became too much for Angie and she finally excused herself.

 

She didn’t know how much time had passed until someone joined her on the empty balcony she had isolated herself in. It didn’t take her much to guess who was standing a few feet behind her, what with the clicking of heels, the familiar perfume and the sudden thumping of her heart.

 

“It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?” Angie scoffed. It got away from her. Peggy was walking again, towards her, slowly, as if to not startle Angie. She ended up standing next to her, both hands on the railing in front of her, looking out to the city. She seemed at a loss of what to say, opening her mouth several times before closing it again.

 

After a couple of minutes, Angie got tired of watching her poor imitation of a fish and took it upon herself to start a conversation.

 

“It’s nice to know you’re still alive,” She watched as Peggy winced, that same guilt from earlier making a new appearance. Angie decided to keep going, “I got a little worried with the lack of calls and letters.”

 

“I didn’t mean to-”

 

“Of course you didn’t, Peggy!” She finally turned to face the English woman, meeting her brown eyes. She let out a mirthless laugh, shaking her head slowly, “I don’t want you to apologize. I just-” She shrugged. She didn’t know what she wanted. What she knew was that she was glad Peggy was here now, that they’d get a second chance. At friendship.

 

“So, are you and Howard…” Angie looked at Peggy, waiting for her to finish her sentence. When she didn’t, Angie just looked at her confusedly.

 

“Are we, what?”

 

Peggy arched an eyebrow and made a vague hand gesture. Angie kept frowning until she noticed the slight blush on Peggy’s neck and it suddenly dawned on her.

 

“Oh no! God no! I’m still sane, thank you very much,” Peggy sighed and nodded, muttering a small “thank God” that Angie chose to ignore.

 

“No, I’m just his date. His friend date. We’re friends. He’s still a womanizer,” a small pause, “but you probably know that since you visited the studio a few days ago.” She watched as a sheepish smile made its way on Peggy’s face. She looked like she was about to try to apologize again so Angie said the first thing that came to mind.

 

“What about you and Daniel. You looked pretty cosy out there.”

 

She regretted her words as soon as she saw that broad and beautiful smile again. Peggy was happy and for some reason, it hurt Angie. Just like that, Peggy started filling her in, telling her how they’d only been dating for four months, how great Daniel was and how good she felt. With each smile, each endearing story about Daniel, Angie gripped the railing tighter, until her knuckles turned white. Her jaw was clenched and her smile felt fake. She needed to get away.

 

Thankfully, Howard chose that exact moment to interrupt them. He escorted them back to their table where Peggy sat next to Daniel and leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. She noticed, with relief, that she wasn’t sitting next to Peggy. Howard was between them and kept making inappropriate jokes as if sensing the tension in the air. He also kept throwing looks at Angie, worried looks, pitying looks, she didn’t really know.

 

Once again, she found herself staring at Peggy, tuning out the outside world. She shouldn’t have been surprised that they’d lose touch. Peggy had been out here, chasing bad guys or whatever it was that she needed to do. Angie had been in New York, working on the show. They each had gotten busy and drifted apart. It was normal, it happened. It didn’t mean it had hurt any less when Angie found herself awake in the middle of the night, wondering if Peggy was still okay, if she was injured or worse. Yet, she hadn’t called. Peggy hadn’t called either.

 

Neither had dared.

 

During her move to L.A, Angie had thought about seeking out Peggy. She was working with Howard who she knew still talked to Peggy from time to time. She could’ve asked Jarvis. She would’ve if it hadn’t felt like she would’ve been bothering Peggy. What would she say to her? They hadn’t shared anything in months, would the English woman still care?

 

“Angie, you didn’t tell Peggy about your grand Hollywood debut?” She looked to Howard who was staring incredulously back at her. Angie shrugged, smiling shyly at Peggy.

 

“It’s no big deal, I’m only playing the lead’s sister.”

 

Peggy’s eyes went huge before her face took on the warm look Angie was so used to back then. Back then, sitting in an old dinner’s booth, looking at Angie like she was the single most important thing in the world.

 

“Angie, that’s wonderful.”

 

Her voice was soft and it squeezed at Angie’s heart, leaving her breathless for a second.

 

Maybe Peggy still would’ve cared. Maybe she should’ve called. Maybe they could try again. Angie swore to herself, then, staring at Peggy’s proud eyes, that she wouldn’t let the English woman go again.

 

**_February 1950_ **

 

It turned out that keeping touch with Peggy was made much easier than she thought. Apparently Howard, Peggy and Colonel Philips had decided to found this new secret agency that used Stark’s Movie Studios as a cover for their Los Angeles’ offices. Angie wasn’t even supposed to know at first but a little added sway to her hips, a wink and a pout worked wonders on Howard Stark.

 

And so, Angie got to see Peggy everyday, join her on her lunch breaks she wasn’t sharing with Daniel. They slowly fell back to the rhythm that had been theirs before Peggy’s move. They were friendly again. They were back to sharing schnapps on some nights and laughing at terrible jokes. It felt good to have her best friend back

 

But it seemed that their friendship was bound to end.

 

A year went by and Peggy was back at being busy. She seemed to be spending more time in the office and when she wasn’t on missions or doing paperwork, she was with Daniel. Angie didn’t blame her, he was her boyfriend after all. Sure, it sucked when Peggy brushed her off with some lame excuse, yet, Angie started doing the same thing. Her own career was slowly picking up and soon she found herself busy with rehearsals and days spent on sets.

 

Still, she tried to find time for Peggy. She remembered the promise she made to herself and she was willing to do anything to keep it but Peggy made it extremely difficult.

 

That’s why Angie was currently striding purposefully towards Peggy’s office with Howard on her toes repeating how much of a bad idea that was. She ignored him and opened the door to the office, going in without knocking or permission. She crossed her arms when a confused Peggy looked up from the file on her desk.

 

“Angie? Is everything alright?”

 

Angie walked to the desk and slammed both of her hands on it. The sudden noise made Peggy jump slightly as her left eyebrow twitched. She stared Angie for what felt like hours but were probably only a couple of minutes. She got up and swiftly closed the blinds on her office’s windows. She then turned around to face Angie again, standing a few feet away from her.

 

“Can I help you with anything?” Annoyance poured from Peggy’s words and that only made Angie angrier than she already was.

 

“Oh, you can act as annoyed and important as you want, _Margaret_ , you’re not getting out of this.”

 

“Angie, I’ve got work to do,” she gestured to the files still on her desk, “I’m sure whatever got your knickers in a twist can wait until later?”

 

Angie scoffed, “No, I’m done waiting, Peggy, I’m done waiting for you to make time on your busy schedule for me.”

 

“Is that what this is about? A cry for attention.”

 

Angie was offended. Peggy made her sound like a petulant child.

 

“You know what, yes, this is a cry for attention because you have been ignoring me for the past couple of months,” She saw Peggy open her mouth, “and yes, I know, you’re busy, so am I but I still make time for you, hoping that for once you won’t blow me off!”

 

She was shouting and to be honest, at this point, she didn’t care anymore. She was fed up. All her frustrations from the last two months, probably even from two years ago, had all piled up and were ready to be spilled.

 

“I thought we were good, back to normal. I mean we were until you decided that I wasn’t worth your time anymore,” she paused hoping Peggy would interject but all she did was look at the ground, “I should’ve just taken the hint two months ago and back off. Or maybe all those years ago at the Griffith. Maybe I should’ve just drank the whole bottle of schnapps by myself but I didn’t, _come un’idiota non lo fatto_.”

 

The Italian meant trouble. Peggy knew it but she found herself unable to move or say anything. She didn’t know what to say or where to start. Angie had basically just confessed to regretting their whole friendship. Her silence wasn’t helping her case and she needed to say something.

 

_Anything._

 

Angie shook her head and kept muttering in Italian, turning to the door, ready to walk away.

 

“You’re too much,” Peggy literally facepalmed herself. That had sounded terrible and she cursed her inability to function normally. Still, it had stopped Angie from leaving, even though she looked ready to bite Peggy’s head off.

 

“You’re too much, you make me… You make me feel too much,” Peggy turned to her desk, slowly walking to it and leaning against it. Angie, for her part, leaned against the door. She tried to make sense of Peggy’s words but the thumping of her heart kept her from focusing on anything.

 

“Is that,” she started with a small voice, “a bad thing?”

 

Peggy shrugged.

 

She looked at her feet then, incapable of maintaining Angie’s gaze, “It shouldn’t be. It isn’t. It feels nice when I’m with you, Angie,” she took a breath and looked up, “It feels nice until I remember that I am supposed to feel that way around Daniel.”

 

Angie’s heart stopped thumping. She stopped breathing. Everything just stood still. Peggy was still looking at her, begging her to say something.

 

_Anything._

But Angie couldn’t because she had thought of this moment, she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t. Except, when she had imagined it, she was the one confessing her feelings and Peggy was the one rejecting her. She had never dared to hope that her feelings were reciprocated. So she stood, speechless, in front of a tearyeyed Peggy, without a clue as to what she should do.

 

She took a decision then, and strode to Peggy and took her in her arms. She embraced her as tightly as she possibly could, kissing Peggy’s cheeks catching the tears with her lips. She kissed her forehead and her nose, she kissed fiercely and with all that she had, each kiss telling Peggy something new.

 

_I missed you._

_I’m sorry._

_I need you._

_I care too much too._

 

The one message she didn’t get was the one Angie desperately wanted her to know. She wasn’t the one who got to tell her. She wasn’t the one Peggy would get home to that evening. She gave her one last kiss on her forehead and separated their bodies. She shook her head, smiling sadly up at Peggy.

 

“Take care, English.”

 

She walked away then. Got out of the office, out the Movie Studio onto the busy streets of Los Angeles. She didn’t look back, kept her breathing even. She didn’t tell her everything. She could have.

 

A kiss on the lips. _I love you_.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_**January 1951** _

__

Peggy looked at her reflection in the mirror. What she was wearing was simple, a green dress, some jewelry, and a nice hairdo. Tonight wasn’t a big deal. Daniel and her had invited a few people over to celebrate. She smoothed invisible wrinkles on her dress and sighed when she caught sight of her left hand.

 

More importantly, the ring that rested on it.

 

This was what they were celebrating.

 

Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa were engaged and about to celebrate with some of their closest friends. The list wasn’t long, neither of them really socialized a lot. Jarvis and Anna had been invited, of course, so had Howard and the woman he was seeing these days. Surprisingly enough, Daniel had decided to invite Thompson who had become one of his closest friends and, from what he had told Peggy, had even helped him pick out a ring.

 

So, really, Peggy had nothing to worry about.

 

Except for the part where Daniel forgot to mention one last guest on their list.

 

He had been trying to choose which tie to wear when he had casually announced to Peggy, “Hey, I hope you don’t mind but I invited one more person,” He was sporting a boyish grin that made Peggy’s heart swell. She had shrugged then, not seeing any issues with adding another set to the table.

 

“Have I met this mysterious guest?”

 

He had chuckled and lifted up two ties, “Met her? You lived with her for a year,” Peggy heart had stopped, all colour draining from her face, “Remember Angie? Looks like she’s back in town. I bumped into her at the grocery store a couple of days ago,” he had kept on holding his ties close to his shirt, unaware of the state Peggy had been in, “She seemed really happy for us, and even though you lost touch, she’s still one of your closest friends, right?” All Peggy had been able to do was nod.

 

It had been almost a year since Peggy last saw her. Peggy should be fine. She had thought she was until she had heard that damn name. She had locked every emotion regarding Angie in a small box and had tucked it away in a dark corner of her mind. That was easy to do when she didn’t have to see the woman everyday. Sure, she sometimes saw Angie’s smile when she closed her eyes, heard her laugh in the crowds and felt her lips on her forehead in the dead of the night.

 

She shook her head.

 

Tonight was about her and Daniel. It was their engagement they were celebrating.

 

And so Peggy played good hostess. She hugged Howard and shook hands with Jenny - or was it Josie? Janine? - she refilled Thompson’s glass of whiskey while refraining to hit him with the bottle. She was sitting down with Anna and Edwin when someone had rung at the door. Peggy’s palms had immediately gotten sweatier and she cursed her body’s reaction. Still, she got up and dutifully trailed behind Daniel who was already opening the door.

 

On the other side, a smiling Angie greeted them.

 

Daniel went in for a hug which Angie reciprocated with an awkward laugh. Peggy, on the other hand, was still hanging back, getting more nervous by the second. She unattractively wiped her sweaty hands on her dress before extending a hand to Angie.

 

“It’s nice to see you again, Angie,” She tried to ignore the curious look Daniel was giving her at her odd behaviour. Angie, for her part, nodded and took the offered hand.

 

“You too, Peggy.”

 

Her voice was so soft.

 

With those three simple words, everything came back to Peggy. All the feelings carefully tucked away rushed back to wrap themselves around her heart. They stood there for a while, hands still hanging in the air and eyes locked with each other. Their staring was probably becoming too much for Daniel who had to clear his throat to attract their attention. They let go of each other’s hands then, Angie letting out another awkward little chuckle as they joined the others in the living room.

 

Angie was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug from Jarvis. She fondly tapped him on the shoulder, “I missed you too, Fancy,” she then went to hug Anna who had followed his husband's steps, albeit not as excitedly. Howard and Angie simply shared a look as Angie shook his conquest’s hand. She also chose to ignore Thompson. It might have been rude, but so was hitting on her non-stop during last year’s New Year's Eve party.

 

From then on, conversation flowed easily. They moved to the dining room and shared stories while they ate. They had a particularly good laugh when Anna managed to shut up Jack with her knowledge in politics. He had also given up on trying to charm Angie which she was grateful and probably needed to thank Daniel for.

 

It was nice to be around these people again, _her people_. Angie had taken a little time away from the city. She had used family issues as an excuse and nobody had questioned her. Well, nobody, except Howard who had been the only one to know what had really happened inside that office. He had become something close to a best friend. He had helped her get out of LA with few questions asked. That didn’t stop him from interrogating her at a later date about what went down. He hadn’t been surprised by the truth, if anything, he felt like everything suddenly made sense.

 

When all the dishes had been taken away and conversation slowed down, Angie realized Peggy was nowhere to be seen. She looked around, finally catching sight of the English woman in her kitchen, sipping on a glass of wine. She smiled at Anna and Howard’s date with whom she had been talking before excusing herself and making her way to the kitchen. She took her own glass with her and poured herself more to drink once she was standing next to Peggy. She felt the brown eyes follow each of her movements, from the hands pouring the wine to the glass being raised to her lips. Only then, did Peggy advert her eyes.

 

“That’s one hell of a ring you got there,” she gestured to the hand Peggy had holding onto the counter. A small smile still made its way on her face because, in spite of everything, Daniel was a decent man and he made her happy. She shrugged, not really knowing what to say to Angie.

 

“So, how have you been?” Peggy shrugged again and Angie gave her a look that seemed to say something along the lines of ‘ _you better start using words before I accidentally ruin that beautiful green dress of yours with some red wine_ ’. Peggy embarrassingly looked down and Angie could feel herself melt at that. This shy side of her former roommate that only seemed to come out around her had always been Angie’s weakness.

 

“Same old. I’m still the director of a secret government agency, I still spend too much of my time cleaning up after Howard,” she brought her eyes back up to meet Angie’s, “Everything is still the same. Nothing has changed.”

_Nothing has changed._

 

Angie’s breath caught and her eyes were unable to leave Peggy’s. She lived for these moments where it was just the two of them, sharing a connection that always seemed to baffle those around them. She missed Peggy, her friend, her closest friend, maybe even _too_ close.

 

Nothing has changed.

 

It was true. If Angie were to believe the way Peggy was staring at her now, nothing had changed. Their feelings were still the same. They were probably still too much for them to handle, too strong, too scary. This thing between them could be so dangerous if people were to find out but it held the potential to be beautiful, the love of a lifetime, and all the romantic clichés found in movies.

 

They couldn’t have that, though, because one thing had changed.

 

“Except for that ring on your finger, right?”

 

And that was all it took to break the spell.

 

_**February 1952** _

 

Pushing through the crowd of paparazzi surrounding her, Angie smiled and waved, making her way inside Stark’s Studios. She ignored the countless questions they were asking, some about her upcoming movie, others about her personal life. They all mingled together into an indecipherable mess that Angie did not want to deal with today.

 

Or any other day, if she was being honest.

 

She didn’t mind the questions about her work, the movies she was in and her future projects. Those were becoming rare though, the journalists preferring to focus on who she was dating, or what she was wearing and other nonsense she was growing tired of.

 

Taking off her sunglasses, Angie made her way inside the studio, greeting those she knew and smiling kindly to those she didn’t. She made her way without much thought, taking all the right turns and passing halls she knew by heart. She finally made it to a secluded Janitor’s closet ( _how original_ ) and waited for the tall metal doors hidden behind a supplies rack to open. Being faced with SHIELD’s secret offices made her instantly relax. It was odd maybe that she found solace in the constant buzzing of agents, walking with purpose to, no doubt, protect the world from a dangerous threat.

 

She effortlessly made her way to the office on the opposite side of the room. She could make out Peggy’s figure nervously biting her pen while frowning at the file she was currently reading. Angie didn’t bother knocking on the door before making her way in. She didn’t need to, she was the only one who kept barging into Peggy’s life at the most unexpected moments.

 

Except, this visit had been planned. It was rare for Peggy to call ahead and ask to see her at a specific moment in time. No, most of their time spent together was initiated by Angie entering the Director’s office while complaining about whatever was bugging her. Sometimes, Peggy was the one surprising Angie at her door, at 1 in the morning, a bottle of schnapps in hand. They were back to being comfortable around each other without any _things_ coming between them.

 

(Things was how Angie labeled _unwanted feelings that must never be mentioned or talked about._ )

 

So, yes, Angie had been worried at first when Peggy had called her to ask if it was possible for Angie to drop by. It didn’t help that Peggy had used her director voice, the one she used when she talked about serious business like confidential spy stuff or Howard’s messing and/or blowing stuff up. It was that last thought that had calmed Angie’s nerves. She got in trouble with Howard sometimes because, well, mustache man had a terrible influence on her.

 

(She remembered the last time she had been called into the office. Howard and her had accidentally set SHIELD’s kitchen on fire. Half of it had burned down and they hadn’t bothered to tell Peggy about it. She wasn’t too pleased when she found out.)

 

So, understandably, the first words out of her mouth were, “Whatever Howard told you, I can assure you, it probably wasn’t my fault.” Peggy looked up confusedly, the pen still hanging between her lips. Her frown was still in place as she put the pen down.

 

“Howard didn’t tell me anything,” she squinted her eyes suspiciously, “why, what did you do?”

 

“Nothing!” Angie smiled broadly, diving right into why she was here, “so, why did you want to see me?”

 

Peggy shifted uncomfortably on her chair before pointing to the chair in front of her for Angie to sit. She started picking at her nails and Angie’s shoulders tensed at that. Peggy was clearly nervous about something and Peggy Carter was very rarely nervous about anything. Angie’s unease only grew as she watched the woman in front of her carefully and slowly rearranging some files on the desk.

 

She was buying herself some time.

 

She was gathering her courage.

 

“I’m pregnant.”

 

_What?_

The words were rushed and all Angie could do was stare dumbfoundedly at Peggy. She wasn’t really staring, it felt like she couldn’t see anymore. Her eyes couldn’t really focus on anything. Her mouth was moving, trying to form words but she couldn’t. She started nodding then as if the motion would clear her mind.

 

“Wow, Pegs, that’s…” She looked at Peggy then, really looked and realised how nervous the other woman seemed. She was biting her lip and had started picking at her nails again. Nodding again, Angie made up her mind. Peggy needed her best friend right now, not whatever thing they had been ignoring for months now. “That’s real wonderful. I’m really happy for you.”

 

She got up and so did Peggy. They hugged and it brought her back to the first time they had been this close. It had felt like them against the world, it had been them against the SSR agents. One of which was now Peggy’s husband and, soon, the father of her child. The promise of Someday had come and gone and was now part of a past that felt like another life. She took a step back and gently took one of Peggy’s hands into her own.

 

“You’re going to be a great mother.”

 

**_December 1953_ **

 

Peggy was holding the paper and trying to make sense of what she was reading. On the cover was a huge picture of Howard and Angie from the actress’ movie premiere the night before. They were both smiling at the camera, holding onto each other. It was nothing unusual. They were friends and Peggy had witnessed countless hugs between the two in their years of shared friendship. No, the unsettling part was the headline.

 

_Is America’s favorite Casanova finally settling down?_

Peggy had guessed it would be another ridiculous rumor about Howard getting engaged to some stranger he had only interacted with once (although, it’s true, he could engage in some activities married couples wouldn’t even dare think about). Except this time, he wasn’t dating a complete stranger, apparently.

 

_Genius billionaire Howard Stark has been spotted several times this week, spending some time with the gorgeous and young rising actress, Angela Martin. While neither of them has addressed these rumours or confirmed them, they haven’t denied it either._

 

Peggy scoffed. Tabloids were getting more ridiculous with each passing day. Howard and Angie were friends, just like Peggy was friends with Howard or friends with Angie.

 

She frowned.

 

Alright, maybe _not_ exactly like she was with Angie. Still, if the two were an item, Peggy would have known.

 

_Angela Martin, who looked absolutely stunning during last night’s movie premiere, stayed elusive when asked about her relationship with Stark on the red carpet: “I’ve known him for a few years. He’s a great friend and I do feel like I owe him a lot. He’s very caring and sweet underneath that Casanova exterior. But still, he’s too much of a womanizer for me to handle.” Caring and sweet? It sure sounds like someone has had the pleasure to get to know Howard Stark on a much more intimate level._

 

“That is disgusting.”

 

“What is?”

 

Peggy looked up to find Daniel staring at her, a piece of toast in his hand. She shook her head while he curiously gazed at her from behind his orange juice cup. She finally turned the paper around, showing the picture of their two friends to him.

 

“Can you believe this nonsense?”

 

Daniel nodded his head and shrugged, “I can.”

 

She had to put down the paper to give all of her attention to him and the sheer ridiculousness of his statement. “Daniel,” she felt like she was talking to a small child, “Howard and Angie are not dating each other.” Daniel put down his glass and looked at her with a boyish grin.

 

“Come on, Peggy. They’ve been spending a lot of time together. What tells you sparks didn’t fly?”

 

“You do realize how ridiculous that sounds?” Peggy started angrily buttering her toast, almost digging a hole in it, “Don’t you think they’d tell us if they were seeing each other?”

 

Daniel had the nerve to shrug again, “They’ve both been pretty secretive about their dating lives. I don’t think I’ve ever met or heard about any of Angie’s boyfriends.”

 

At that, Peggy slowed her movements. She hadn’t met any of Angie’s lovers either. Even back when they still lived at the Griffith or when they had moved in together. She had never heard of a man (or a woman?) Angie might’ve been interested in. It dawned on her that she knew next to nothing about Angie’s dating life. That was a subject they had almost never broached. Whether it was done consciously or not, Peggy wasn’t sure. They had had a talk about Steve, about what had almost been, they had talked about silly childhood crushes but that was it.

 

“You okay?” Peggy nodded under Daniel’s worried gaze. So? Angie had never shared anything about her dating life with her, it wasn’t a big deal. It had taken a while for Daniel to share those stories with her too. She didn’t need to know everything about Angie’s life. If Howard was making her happy, then so be it.

 

So why was she so angry?

 

Daniel left for work a few minutes later, throwing Peggy one last questioning glance she ignored. She was left alone with her thoughts as she cleaned their kitchen.

 

Of course she knew why she was angry. She wasn’t completely oblivious and blind to her feelings. She was jealous Angie was moving on. She was angry she wasn’t the one making Angie smile in that stupid picture. She was frustrated she was still pining after a woman despite being married and a mother. She had a family.

 

Angie was not part of that family.

 

She tried to remember that as Angie dropped by that same afternoon. She watched as the actress excitedly hugged her, asked her how she was and followed her to the room where the twins were playing. Felicity and Ewan, barely a year old, immediately smiled up to Angie, making grabby motions with their hands. They started giggling enthusiastically when Angie crouched down and started peppering kisses all over their small faces.

 

Peggy stayed back, content to just watch her children and her best friend. Leaning on the doorway, Peggy found herself wishing this could be an everyday occurrence. She wished she could wake up next to Angie like she had sometimes when they still lived together, years ago. She wished she could sit down next to Angie, kiss her like she meant it. She wished her jealousy could be justified, because Angie was hers and she was Angie’s.

 

She wished Angie was part of the family.

 

“You alright over there, English?”

 

She wasn’t. She was drowning in feelings that seemed harder to hide with each passing day. She still put on a smile though, sat down next to Angie and smiled as Felicity crawled to her. Kissing the top of her daughter’s head, Peggy took in her surroundings. Maybe she wasn’t alright in the grand scheme of things, but right at this moment? With Angie tickling Ewan, his excited squeals and his sister’s excited clapping, she had never felt more okay.

 

**_December 1954_ **

 

Angie wasn’t okay, and if someone asked her if she was again, she would not hesitate before stabbing someone with her heels. She was pacing like a damn caged animal. It was all she could do and it was driving her nuts.

 

She hated hospitals.

 

The typical antiseptic smell that seemed to come off every wall was starting to make her nauseous. The walls were white, the chairs white, the doors white, everything was white and bright and Angie was out of breath. Her head was spinning, her hands were cold and nothing felt real.

 

She sat down.

 

Deep breaths.

 

Daniel came out of the room with the Doctor and looked worriedly at her. They had been deep in conversation until Angie had hurriedly gotten up and marched to them. The Doctor nodded at the two of them before leaving. With him gone, Angie’s pleading eyes turned to Daniel. He seemed startled by her gaze like he didn’t expect her to be this affected. Who was he kidding. Angie and Peggy had always been close, he had known that from the start. Just _how close_ exactly, he had only found that one out a few weeks ago.

 

It made sense.

 

“She’s stable, should wake up soon,” he watched as Angie’s eyes filled with relief, “you can go see her.”

 

She only let out a small " _thank you"_   and went in. He was left looking at her through the small glass on the shutting door. A small smile graced his face as he watched Angie push back strands of Peggy’s hair. She was taken care of and, to Daniel, that’s all that mattered. It hurt, he wasn’t going to lie, and maybe a part of him hated Angie because she was all he couldn’t be for Peggy.

 

Angie sat down on the chair next to the bed and immediately took Peggy’s hand on her own. She lightly drew random figures with her finger on the English woman’s palm. She could feel silent tears make their way on her cheeks.

 

“You are an idiot, Margaret Carter.”

 

“For once, I think you’re right.”

 

Angie’s eyes snapped up to Peggy’s face where a smile was slowly forming. Her eyes were still closed and she looked peaceful, rested, despite the broken ribs and bruises. Silent tears suddenly became a mess, a mixture of sobs, laughter and anger. That made Peggy finally look at her with wide eyes.

 

“What the hell were you thinking? Didn’t you have back up? Aren’t you supposed to only do boring desk stuff? You’re a director, for God’s sake, and a mother! Do you know how worried I was? That was reckless thinking, Margaret, it was idiotic and reckless, not to mention completely dangerous and stupid.”

 

Peggy raised her eyebrows in question, an amused look on her face.

 

“Are you finished?”

 

Angie took a deep breath and nodded, suddenly feeling embarrassed at her outburst, “I think so, yes.”

 

Peggy turned her hand around, intertwining her fingers with Angie’s. She tried sitting up but a sharp pain shot through her midriff. Angie’s hands immediately went to her shoulders, pushing her down again. She kept them there and sat down on a small spot on the bed. She sighed and slowly reached for Peggy’s unbruised cheek. Angie’s fingers traced Peggy’s cheekbone, eyes following the movement so lovingly, it left Peggy breathless. She let out a small whine when Angie put her hand away, intertwining it with hers again.

 

“I’m sorry,” Peggy’s voice was barely above a whisper, “I didn’t want you to worry.”

 

She looked like a chastised little kid and Angie squeezed her hand. It made Peggy look back up again.

 

“It doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop worrying.”

 

Peggy’s eyes softened and she started rubbing her thumb on Angie’s hand, making her shiver. The actress’ reaction brought a satisfied smirk to her face. There were so many things Peggy wanted to tell her. How glad she was Angie had never left her side, that they had always had each other’s back, through the good and bad.

 

Maybe it was this sudden surge of gratefulness that made Peggy say her next words. She wasn’t sure, she hadn’t been for a while.

 

“Daniel asked me for a divorce.”

 

Angie could have used a little warning because she suddenly found herself choking on her own saliva. Peggy sat up, ignoring the pain in her body, a hand instinctively hovering over Angie’s back. When the coughing stopped, Angie looked incredulously at Peggy.

 

“He asked you for a divorce while you were in an hospital bed?”

 

Peggy chuckled and Angie thought back to her earlier need of stabbing someone with her heels. By the sound of it, she had found her victim.

 

“No, he... it’s been a couple of weeks,” before Angie could get a word out, Peggy silenced her with a hand on her mouth, “I didn’t tell you because I had no idea how to tell you.”

 

Angie glared at her until she put her hand away. She then took her hand again, stroking her knuckles, “I could stab him, if you want.” A sudden laugh made its way out of Peggy who grimaced at the pain it caused to her ribs. Angie smiled apologetically, “Really, though. I’m sorry, Pegs.”

 

Peggy could only shrug, “It’s alright, it was a long time coming.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you guys were having problems?” Angie frowned, thinking back to all the times they had been together, yet Peggy hadn’t said anything. She wasn’t saying anything now, either. She had only raised an eyebrow, looking for a suitable answer and avoiding Angie’s gaze. Finally, her eyes settled on their hands, still connected, and decided to throw caution to the wind.

 

“I would have told you if you were my best friend,” she watched as Angie’s face fell and continued, “but we both know you’ve always been more than that.”

 

Angie’s mouth opened in surprise but no sound came out. She was reminded of all those years ago, in Peggy’s office, how hearing Peggy confess her feelings for the first time had rendered her speechless. How warmth had made its way through her whole body and how the urge to kiss Peggy was as present as it was now.

 

She started leaning in, smirking as she felt Peggy’s breath hitch. She stopped moving when she was only inches away from connecting their lips.

 

“When are you signing the divorce papers?”

 

There was still one small thing holding them back.

 

_**February 1956** _

 

New York City had never looked this beautiful. The buildings, the lights, the small wind blowing in her hair, it had never felt quite as delightful as it did then. From her balcony, Peggy could only hear the distant hum of the city and see the small black silhouettes making their ways on the sidewalks. The night was young and promising, and as Angie made her way next to her, she felt a rush of excitement wash over her.

 

“The view is beautiful,” Angie’s eyes were shining and Peggy couldn’t help but smile while looking at her.

 

“It really is.”

 

Angie turned to face her, rolling her eyes at the cheesy line. The amusement didn’t last long, though. She seemed focus, studying every inch of Peggy’s face. Her eyes zeroed in on a strand of hair that had escaped her bun. She pushed it back, letting her hand brush against Peggy’s cheek and letting it rest on her collar bone.

 

It was magnetic, a pull stronger than what Peggy had ever felt before. There was absolutely nothing holding them back. No boyfriend or husband, no miles between them, absolutely nothing. They were here, alone together, in their own bubble of happiness. They had been waiting for this moment for years, looking forwards this weekend for months.

 

They fell into each other naturally, Peggy’s hands grasping at Angie’s waist and Angie’s hands sneaking around Peggy’s neck. Lips locked, eyes closed, Angie’s senses were overwhelmed. Everything around disappeared. This wasn’t their first kiss, far from it. They had been sort of dating for the past couple of months, stealing kisses at every opportunity.

 

They’d share sweet kisses. Their first one had been slow but passionate, filled with every emotion they’d keep bottled up in the last eight years. Their hands had been shy, barely leaving her waist or back.

 

It was nothing like what they were currently doing.

 

They were desperate, that much was clear. They clumsily started making their way back inside, only interrupting the kiss when they almost fell down. Angie was still smiling when she took off Peggy’s blouse, leaving another trail of kisses on her shoulder along the way. She made her way up again, leaving a final kiss on Peggy’s lips before pulling back. She smirked as Peggy let out a small annoyed groan. She looked at her in the eyes, reaching around Peggy’s hips and slowly pulling down the skirt. Angie was kneeling down and Peggy was close to fainting. Her breath hitched as she felt a kiss on her knee, her thigh, her stomach, between her breasts as Angie made her way up. She let her lips graze Peggy’s.

 

“We should take this to the bedroom.”

 

She barely had the time to finish her sentence, before Peggy lifted her up. She let out a surprised squeal and sneaked her legs around Peggy’s waist, feeling Peggy’s hands supporting her under her knees. The English woman left a small kiss on Angie’s neck before hurriedly making her way to the bedroom. She slowed down when they approached the bed and gently put Angie back on the ground.

 

“I believe you are still wearing too much.”

 

Once Angie’s dress was out of the way, each touch only became more fervent. Hands trailed down backs leaving behind them a burning trail and drawing out soft gasps. They explored every inch of skin with a hot kind of desperate tenderness, in rhythm with their sharp breaths and their heartbeats in concert.

 

Angie's senses were overwhelmed by Peggy. The air around her was a mixture of Peggy's musky perfume and her own vanilla scented. Her whole body was on fire, sent aflame with each gentle brush of Peggy's fingers. Her mind was hazy, eyes solely focused on the woman on top of her, brown eyes staring like she was the most precious thing on earth.

 

And maybe she was. God knows that's how she felt when she looked at Peggy, bruised lips and smudged lipstick, starry eyes and disheveled hair. Peggy was beautiful and Angie was momentarily left speechless when she realized what exactly was happening. Her brain was catching up and putting a name on everything she was feeling. She had spent an embarrassing amount of time imagining what Peggy would look like in this moment, what she would feel like. She had been so far off the reality. She was overwhelmed, feeling so much more than she had anticipated.

 

"I love you," and maybe it was cliché that she realized just how much she loved Peggy in that moment, but the smile that illuminated the English woman's face was worth every damn cheesy line and corny stereotype.

 

"I love you too."

 

They were in love, had been for a long time, and to finally say it out loud made Peggy's insides twist in the most pleasurable of ways. The butterflies that had been missing with Daniel, were fluttering in full force at the view of Angie's loving grin.

 

The butterflies melted to leave place to whispered promises of forever that made their way to Peggy's core. Hours were spent in an embrace of tangled limbs and an happiness that was long overdue.

  
  
  
  
  


Angie woke to kisses being peppered on her neck and shoulders. A lazy smile made its way on her face as she turned around to face Peggy.

 

"Morning," she sighed contentedly as she kissed Peggy. She could get used to this, waking up next to her everyday.

 

"Good morning, darling."

 

They didn't move. They simply laid, face to face, happy smiles comparable to those of a couple of teenagers who'd just had a taste at young love. Maybe that was who they were in a sense, two people finally giving into what had been burning inside of them for years now.

 

In the light of day though, Angie's bubble burst when it dawned on her that they weren't alone in this world. They were people out there who might not understand their love, might not accept them for what they were.

 

Peggy pressed her thumb between Angie's eyebrows, trying to make her frown disappear. She waited until Angie smiled at her to bring her hand down, but the smile was a sad one and worry started making its way to Peggy's stomach.

 

"Is everything alright?"

 

Angie let her nails make their way down Peggy's arm, watching the goosebumps rise, "It's just... The people out there," She shyly met Peggy's eyes. She didn't like to feel like this, vulnerable, caring about what others might think but all she saw in Peggy's eyes was understanding. Angie was an actress, a public figure, everything she did always was under some kind of spotlight.

 

"We're going to have to be careful," Peggy started with a shrug. She started playing with Angie's hand and fingers, "I don't want you to lose what you've worked so hard to achieve because of me."

 

"You'd be worth it, though."

 

Silence fell, and they were left with their own thoughts, hands still intertwined.

 

"You have kids," Angie found herself saying. She watched as Peggy nodded, smiling sadly.

 

"I do and they love you," Angie grinned at the thought of the twins, the two bundles of joy and sunshine that made Angie the happiest whenever she got to spend time with them.

 

"They're turning out to be great kids, Peg. You did good," Angie watched the doubt crossing Peggy's eyes. She gently lifted her chin back up and brushed their noses together to get Peggy to look at her, "You are a good mother, Peggy. Yes, you don't get to see them as often since the divorce but those kids love you."

 

Peggy kissed Angie soundly, making the other woman giggle. She continued on smiling while grabbing Peggy's hand and bringing her closer, she bit her lip and she could feel Peggy's curious gaze on her.

 

"Do you think, that maybe, someday, I don't know..."

 

"Angie, what is it?"

 

"Do you think we could be a family? You, me, Felicity and Ewan."

 

Peggy's face broke with the biggest grin Angie had ever seen on that beautiful face.

 

"Absolutely."

 

Angie was part of her family, and had been for awhile, no matter how hard Peggy had tried to fight it. She was everything Peggy had always wanted but never thought she'd have. She still felt too much sometimes, she still got scared of how much she loved Angie but instead of running away from it, she relished in it. She basked in the warmth of the familiar tug in her heart whenever Angie smiled at her, or how breathless she was left after a simple touch.

 

Each kiss had their meaning but there was only one they both desperately craved.

 

A kiss on the lips. _I love you_.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Et voilà! I hope you all enjoyed this little thing. I'm delphineshigh on tumblr if you feel like saying hello!


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